The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-04-24
Its Disastrous Effect on The
atrical Companies.
A FEW FACTS lAND FIGURES.
Increas ed Expenses for Fravei M eaAs
Death to Nearly Everything
On the Road.

commission. I1elC pOslIiOA e
ba sound one. Mr.. Cartoons entire
company signed the petition on tues
dav last he saws the enforcement OF the
law is working terrible havoc among
travelling companies, he himself having
to sell off his fine scenery to save paying
the enormous tariff demanded. AS it is
the G. P. and U. P. are charging MN
SIS 10 a hundred on 5000 or 4'oVo
pounds baggage excess from San fras-
cisco to Omaha, and big hole Will be
made in his seasons profits:
To the Inter State Commerce Commission
Washington, D. G.
The undersigned your petitioners,
who are personally and vitality affected
by the operation of the Interstate
Commerce law, as construed by the rail-
roads since the S1st of March last, res
pectfully ask of your honorable body:
That the provisions of said law as ap-
nlied to the amusement profession be
suspended for period of ninety days.
and that the railroad companies be per
mitted to make the same special rates
as heretofore extended to our profess
sion. for the reason, that all existing
contracts between travelling companies
and local managers were entered into
long before the passage OF the Inter-
state Commerce Bill, and were based
mon conditions then existing as to ex-
pense of travelling, etc, and 10 an mus,
tiee to YOUR petitioners that they should
he compelled to carry out said contracts
so entered into when the item OF trans
portation Zone of the most important
expenses connected with their buslness)
has been practically doubled, without
the possibility of their deriving any ad-
ditional revenue. In fact, the difference
between thesrailroad rates now existing
as compared with those prevailing prior
to the LIST of April, would render the
fulillment of said contracts absolutely
impossible, except 1T great loss 70
travelling organizations.
We respectfully petition your commits
sion to so interpret the Interstate Com.
merce law as to permit railroad COM
panies to grant, as heretofore, reduced
rates for fare and baggage to travelling
amusement organizations, based upon
the numb, Of persons in the company,
the distance travelled, amount OF bag
gage carried, etc.,-not intending there
nv that any discrimination shall be
made in favor of our profession, but
| that other organized bodies travelling on
one ticket from place to place, under
substantial similar circumstances and
conditions, shall be granted the same
benefit of publicly advertised rate. In
other words, that the railroads be au
thoritativeiy permitted to recognize the
common-sense principles underlying all
business affairs, and to grant proper
concessions to what might be termed
| the wholesale trade.
For the information of your commits
sion, we will briefly state, that it has
been customary heretofore for railroad
companies to grant very material re-
auctions in rates to the amusement pro
fession, averaging from rs to 50per cent
off, depending on the size of the COM
pany, and also to increase very materl-
ally the allowance of baggage, averag-
ing at least $50 pounds per person, witt
concessions for car loads of scenery, etc
We simply ask your honorable commits
sion to so interpret the law that thu
railroad companies may make such re
duced rates as they ee fit, for part1e
not less than ten persons, travelling to
gether on one ticket to the same deSttTd
ton, and we will trust to the natura
competition between the railroad com
panies to do US the justice which is nov
denied through the arbitrary construc
ton of the Interstate Commerce law, il
placing the people who travel continu
ally, on an average ten months IN tn
wear, in organized bodies, on the sam
: plane with individual travellers VIII
f0T1o frIr 7
each year. - >.
In order to show your commission tn
Importance OF the interests SO vitality al
fected by this practical doubling of tn
railroad fares by the Interstate Com
merce law, few facts and figures ar
appended, which understate rather thai
exaggerate the true conditions.
There are about 500 organized comb
nations constantly travelling (includin
circuses,) which employ in the aggregat
, upwards of 10000 adults. There ar
upwards of :, 800, theatres, opera house
t and places of amusement in the Unite
States, giving employment to about 40,
600 persons. These local Amusement
Ilaces could not exist, nor any retur
on the immense capital invested therein
] be had, pt through the cooperation
r of 500 travelling combinations playing en-
gagements throughout the year IN IN
respective houses. There are at leas
F.. % 600 persons employed in collatera
e branches mainly dependent upon tn
''show business" 90 called, such a
; printers, costumers. bill-posters, seen
painters, manufactures of theatrica
/ wares and merchandise generally. Iii
l a reasonable assumption that there ar
quarter of million people who ar
dependent for their support upon tn
/. labors of the 5000 adults above men
toned as being employed in the amuse
ment profession.
The capital employed by the travelin
+; organizations is upward of 5000 00(
: the capital invested in collateral trade
and professions is probably 100000
and the capital represented in the 3, sc
= opera houses, theatres, etc., is at leas
i $50, 000,0 900. (The capital thus invested i
f the four cities of New York, Boston
Philadelphia and Chicago alone is s25
OOO,OOO.) All this capital. and this arm
S of working people, are jeopardized b
e the construction placed upon the Inter
= State Commerce Law by the railroa
companies.
: 1t is estimated that the amount {
b money paid by the amusement compal
, les annually to the railroad compani'
:. is upwards of 50, 800. 600. Under the Ii
y ter State Commerce Law this amour